Formerly: Poeschel & Scherer · Stone Hill Wine Company
Hermann, Missouri · Founded 1847 · Building: 1861–1869 (historic vaulted cellars completed in 1869; later winery structures)
A revived 1847 Hermann winery estate whose vast 1869 cellars survived Prohibition as a mushroom farm before the Held family restored winemaking in 1965.
Stone Hill Winery began in Hermann in 1847, when German immigrant Michael Poeschel sold his first barrels of commercial wine. Its vast vaulted cellars were completed in 1869, and by 1900 the original winery had become one of the largest wine producers in the United States. Prohibition ended the first winery era, but the cellars survived as a mushroom farm until Jim and Betty Held revived Stone Hill in 1965.
German immigrant Michael Poeschel sold his first barrels of commercial wine in Hermann, beginning the original winery lineage that became Stone Hill.
Source: Stone Hill Winery, "Our Story," accessed September 1, 2026
Construction began during the 1860s on Stone Hill's large network of vaulted underground cellars.
Source: Stone Hill Winery, "Our Story," accessed September 1, 2026; Sauce Magazine, "Stone Hill Winery in Hermann is a St. Louis landmark," December 12, 2025
Stone Hill's famed vaulted cellars were completed.
Source: Stone Hill Winery, "Our Story," accessed September 1, 2026; Missouri Wine, "Stone Hill Winery celebrates 175 years," June 7, 2022
Stone Hill won the first of eight World's Fair gold medals, at Vienna, according to Hermann tourism history.
Source: Visit Hermann, "Sample Hermann Wines in Missouri Wine Country"
Stone Hill became the second-largest winery in the United States, producing more than 1.25 million gallons of wine annually, according to the winery and Missouri wine-history sources.
Source: Stone Hill Winery, "Our Story," accessed September 1, 2026; Missouri Wine, June 7, 2022; Visit Hermann, "Sample Hermann Wines in Missouri Wine Country"
National Prohibition forced Stone Hill's original winery to close. The winery says its vineyards were destroyed and the property entered a long dormant period.
Source: Stone Hill Winery, "Our Story" and official homepage, accessed September 1, 2026; Missouri Wine, June 7, 2022
The historic cellars were converted into a mushroom farm, which continued using the underground spaces until 1965.
Source: Stone Hill Winery, "Our Story," accessed September 1, 2026; Missouri Wine, June 7, 2022
Jim and Betty Held bought the old winery property, restored the historic cellars, and reestablished Stone Hill Winery as Missouri's first post-Prohibition winery revival.
Source: Stone Hill Winery, "Our Story" and official homepage, accessed September 1, 2026; Missouri Wine, June 7, 2022; TasteMakers, January 7, 2023
Stone Hill Winery continues operating in Hermann under Held family leadership, with winery experiences and the on-site Vintage 1847 Restaurant.
Source: Stone Hill Winery official website and Vintage 1847 Restaurant page, accessed September 1, 2026; Visit Hermann, "Vintage 1847 Restaurant at Stone Hill Winery," updated December 30, 2024
Every claim gets rated. A business's own website can never earn "documented."
Stone Hill's own history, Missouri Wine, Hermann tourism material, and recent regional reporting consistently describe the winery as the second-largest in the country around 1900, producing more than 1.25 million gallons annually. The claim is well corroborated, but this review did not inspect original federal agricultural reports, tax returns, trade statistics, or competitor production data needed to establish a documented national ranking.
Some secondary histories call Stone Hill the third-largest winery in the world, while the strongest reviewed winery and Missouri wine-history sources call it the second-largest in the United States. The reviewed source set does not establish a consistent worldwide ranking or a defined global comparison set, so the second-largest-in-the-world claim should not be used.
Stone Hill's historical timeline says the cellars became a mushroom farm in 1923 and continued in that use until 1965. Missouri Wine and multiple regional histories corroborate the decades-long mushroom use. The site’s physical preservation through that period is a central part of the revival story.
The original winery closed during Prohibition, its vineyards were destroyed, and Stone Hill's current site says the winery sat dormant for 45 years. Jim and Betty Held reestablished wine production in 1965. The present winery is a historically connected revival, not a continuously operating 1847-to-present business.
Stone Hill's history and Missouri wine-industry coverage identify Jim and Betty Held as the 1965 purchasers who revived the winery. Current company material says the family continues the operation, and a recent history feature identifies John Held as the winery's CEO.
Stone Hill Winery has operated continuously since 1847.
Stone Hill's original winery lineage began in 1847, but Prohibition closed the operation, destroyed its vineyards, and left the estate dormant for about 45 years. The historic cellars became a mushroom farm until Jim and Betty Held reestablished Stone Hill Winery in 1965.
Source: Stone Hill Winery, official homepage and "Our Story," accessed September 1, 2026; Missouri Wine, June 7, 2022
Stone Hill was the second-largest winery in the world.
The strongest reviewed sources describe Stone Hill as the second-largest winery in the United States around 1900, producing more than 1.25 million gallons annually. World-ranking descriptions vary and were not established by a reliable global comparison in this review.
Source: Stone Hill Winery, "Our Story," accessed September 1, 2026; Missouri Wine, June 7, 2022; Visit Hermann, "Sample Hermann Wines in Missouri Wine Country"
The historic Stone Hill cellars were built in 1861 and Vintage 1847 Restaurant occupies an 1847 carriage house.
The vaulted cellars were built through the 1860s and completed in 1869. Stone Hill's current site identifies the Vintage 1847 Restaurant as occupying the original winery barn; this review did not verify an 1847 carriage-house identity.
Source: Stone Hill Winery, "Our Story" and official homepage, accessed September 1, 2026; Sauce Magazine, December 12, 2025
Stone Hill's survival depends on the difference between a preserved estate and an uninterrupted business. The original winery did not endure Prohibition as an active wine producer: its vines were destroyed and the site lay dormant for decades. Yet the vaulted cellars remained useful enough for mushroom cultivation, giving Jim and Betty Held a physical foundation for a 1965 rebirth. Their family transformed a dormant industrial relic into a working winery, tourism landmark, and restaurant destination without pretending its history had no break.
Stone Hill Winery began in Hermann in 1847, when German immigrant Michael Poeschel sold his first barrels of commercial wine. Its vast vaulted cellars were completed in 1869, and the original business became one of the country's largest wineries around 1900. Prohibition closed the winery and left it dormant while the cellars grew mushrooms, until Jim and Betty Held revived Stone Hill in 1965.
Stone Hill is one of Missouri's oldest winery estates, with a founding lineage dating to Michael Poeschel's first commercial wine sales in 1847. It is not a continuously operating winery from 1847 to today: Prohibition closed the original business, its vineyards were destroyed, and the property sat dormant for about 45 years before the Held family reestablished winemaking in 1965. This record does not assign Stone Hill a current oldest-operating-winery title.
Yes. Stone Hill's historic underground cellars became a mushroom farm in 1923 after Prohibition closed the original winery. Mushroom cultivation continued in the cellars until Jim and Betty Held purchased the property and revived the winery in 1965.
The best-supported version of the claim is that Stone Hill was the second-largest winery in the United States around 1900, producing more than 1.25 million gallons annually. Some secondary accounts use a world-ranking claim, but the reviewed sources conflict and do not provide a reliable global comparison. It is safer to describe Stone Hill as one of the country's largest wineries of its era.
Yes. Vintage 1847 Restaurant is located at Stone Hill Winery at 1110 Stone Hill Highway in Hermann. The winery's current site says the restaurant occupies the original winery barn and serves contemporary American cuisine with German house specialties; current menus and hours should be checked before visiting.
1110 Stone Hill Hwy, Hermann, MO 65041
(573) 486-2221
Stone Hill offers winery experiences and an on-site restaurant, but their schedules differ: Vintage 1847 Restaurant publishes separate days, seasonal closures, and reservation guidance. Check current winery and restaurant hours before visiting.